Student is sculpting the future of 3D

PCC student Tristan Del Giudice studies clay modeling and sculpting to add to his existing digital sculpting skills in his work at CoKreeate as a 3D modeler.

Taylor Gonzales/CourierPCC Student Tristan Del Giudice sculpts a self-portrait in his figure sculpting class, using a selfie on his phone as a reference.Pasadena, California Monday Feb. 1, 2016.

Giudice is a lead concept artist at CoKreeate, which describes itself as “a Los Angeles based company that aims to service your ideas and imaginations by bringing your ideas to life—in 3D.”

His skills include sketching, digital sculpting, character and creature modeling and high poly—or high resolution—modeling. At Co-Kreeate, after a 3D scan of the subject is taken, Giudice uses his skills to go in and clean up the look of the 3D image before it is turned into a figurine.

Giudice is taking figure sculpting taught by clay sculpting and modeling instructor Tom Hunsucker. In the class, he is studying how to sculpt human figures.

“I’m not a big believer in talent, but he can do anything he wants in sculpture,” Hunsucker said of Giudice. “I guess that’s another way of saying he has talent. He is very accomplished, and this is his first life-sized attempt.”

Hunsucker describes his figure sculpting class as an “introduction and the only class PCC offers in intro to sculpture, concerned solely with the figure.”

“All we do is the figure,” said Hunsucker. “It’s hardly even an art class, it’s more of a class of observation.”

Giudice began sculpting at age 16, and has been perfecting his craft over the past two years. He started out digitally first, using ZBrush, a digital sculpting program he described as “about as close as you can get to what clay sculpture feels like.”

Inspired to pursue creature model sculpting by the 2014 movie “Godzilla,” Giudice was amazed with the actual monster itself, and its realistic look.

He’s learned how to sculpt by watching YouTube videos of the 3D process, and now even has his own YouTube channel displaying his works of art.

“It all comes down to you doing it yourself,” Giudice said.

His favorite subject to sculpt is the human anatomy, along with creatures and characters, where he finds many new ideas and concepts on Pinterest.

When sculpting, Giudice prefers using Monster Clay, an oil/wax based sculpting medium used by the likes of seven-time Academy Award winner make-up artist and creature modeler Rick Baker. He also enjoys listening to alternative rock and progressive trance while sculpting.

“Sculpting is very relaxing, it can be therapeutic. It can be really liberating too,” said Giudice. “You can use anything as a tool. You can use a knife or even a pencil.”

Giudice is currently working on a 3D self-portrait for Hunsucker’s class, and his upcoming projects include a female torso and Handsome Squidward.

Hoping to work in the toys and collectibles industry or the videogame and film industry, Giudice wants to be either a character designer or 3D artist in the future. He lists Steve Wang and his work as his role model in the sculpting world, who is best known for his work on the 1987 movie “Predator” and “UnderWorld” in 2003.

As for anyone thinking of pursuing sculpting Giudice said, “Have patience with yourself and the medium. You’ll get there!”